Pat O'May (born 1961) is a French musician who blends rock music with elements of world music.[1] He originally worked with the heavy metal band Marienthal, and also produced several solo albums. He has written over 100 tracks for the TV show European coast seen from the sky. He participated in Alan Simon's rock operas Anne de Bretagne, Excalibur: The Celtic Rock Opera and started working with Martin Barre touring and recording with him.
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Purpose of and details on production each of the albums
Critical reception on the albums
Related tours and appearances
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O'May was born in Rouen, France. As a teenager, he was a fan of rock music and R&B from the Osmond Brothers, but the album Machine Head by Deep Purple inspired him to become a hard rock guitarist. He joined the heavy metal band Marienthal about 1982.[2] He gave guitar lessons and took himself from Patrick Duplan which made him explore classical music, blues, and bossa nova.[where?] Marienthal toured France, England, and Algeria, and opened for acts such as Girlschool, Alvin Lee, and Chariot. After conflicts with their manager, the band split in 1987.[2] O'May continues touring with the group Road 66 across France but playing in bars led to excesses. O'May decides to put an end to this drift during a tour in Belfort[3] He stayed in Belfort where he met the band Ange well as drummer Peter Hartmann and bassist Alain De Bernardi whom he refounded the second group Road 66. They turned in eastern France and Germany.[3]
O'May moved to Brittany in 1989. After a third group experience with Road 66 and the sound of Bretons concerts and bals, he released his first solo album, Bob Up, in 1994, with Bretons renowned musicians (Alain Genty, Michel Aumont, Fred Guichen, Stéphane De Vito). Godin, a French guitar distributor, chose him as its spokesperson. In 1995, he was invited by the Festival "Cannes Passion Music" in Cannes for master classes. This allows him to meet musicians and even play with the rhythm section of Joe Satriani in a closing concert (Stuart Hamm, Rudy Roberts, Jonathan Mover). In 1996, he developed his universe with the album Kids & the War, wherein he joined Celtic instruments (ScottishSnare drum, uilleann pipes).
He recorded his third album, Breizh – Amerika, where refined his ideas of fusing rock and with traditional sounds, adding Celtic music, and involving French guitarist Norbert Krief.[4] He had the album mixed by Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron Thal in New York City, and released it in 1999.
In 2002, O'May produced the album Un Souffle Pour la Vie (Breath for Life) with many artists. He donated the profits to cystic fibrosis research. That year, he also released his fourth album, Anakoustik, and followed with a tour with pianist Philippe Turbin. In 2003, he created a show with the famous Breton singer Gilles Servat for outstanding performance wherein the two artists share their respective directories. At various concerts, he met with many musicians, including Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Van Wilks, Stuart Hamm.
O'May has composed over 100 tracks for the TV serial European coast seen from the sky, which has been distributed to 15 countries. Breton musician Alan Stivell had him play on his album Explore, which released in 2006. O'May also participated in "Brittany celebrates St. Patrick's day" at Paris-Bercy, and played as a guest musician on Johnny Hallyday's "Flashback Tour". In 2007, he signed with Milan Music/Universal label for his fifth studio album, Omega. It was released on 8 July, and he played at the "Festival des Terre Neuvas" in France in front of 47,000 people.[5] In 2008, O'May toured in France and Europe.
O'May released his sixth album, In Live We Trust, with ten original tracks and a horn section. His concert producer describes his style as "exploring new territory with an original blend of his own well-known guitar approach and world music elements using among others Celtic, Arabian and Chinese sounds".[1] He participated in the 2010 Bercy for St Patrick's Day, and recorded for Excalibur III, which was the third album from the Excalibur rock opera. He continued touring for both of Simon's projects through 2011 and 2012, visiting Switzerland, France, and Germany. He developed a friendship with Martin Barre, and later toured with him in October 2011. In 2012, Martin Barre invited him to join his new group with prestigious line up for several tours in Britain, Germany, Italy, USA.[7] O'May appeared in 2012 as guest on Alan Stivell concerts, in earlier parts of several concerts of Uli Jon Roth (ex-Scorpions guitarist) and played in NancyZénith including Scorpions, Pat McManus, Gamma Ray, Karelia and Koritni.[8]
O'May released his seventh album, Celtic Wings, drawing for writing it in his musical (metal), genetic (Ireland) and emotional (Brittany) roots. It gives rise to a Celtic rock and metal album, between new compositions and covers (Alan Stivell medley, Over the Hills and Far Away, Whiskey in the Jar), with the participation of Martin Barre, Alan Stivell, Jonathan Noyce (Gary Moore, Archive), Moya Brennan (Clannad), James Wood, Christophe Peloil (Tri Yann). The album, which he began writing six months before the release in November, is recorded in Britain, Ireland, England and mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.[9]^ After being involved in the Martin Barre's Band for 3 years he wrote Behind the pics released 2017 with his band, Jonathan Noyce (Gary Moore, Jethro Tull, Archive) and the New Symphony Orchestra of Sofia. Recorded at Abbey Road, followed with Keltia Symphonia written by himself for the new symphony orchestra. He played with Ian Paice during the Paicey Story show produced by John Helfy, and then recorded his 23rd career anniversary album with Ron "Bumblefoot "thal, Patrick Rondat, Pat McManus and many more. "Welcome to a new world" is his new opus, a concept album between The Matrix and Tommy!
Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerably to include everything from traditional music to a wide range of hybrids.
Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Along with flourishing traditional forms such as the bombard-biniou pair and fest-noz ensembles incorporating other additional instruments, it has also branched out into numerous subgenres.
Martin Lancelot Barre is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 2011. Barre played on all of Jethro Tull's studio albums from their 1969 album Stand Up to their 2003 album The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. In the early 1990s he began a solo career, and has recorded several albums as well as touring with his own live band.
Alan Stivell is a Breton and Celtic musician and singer, songwriter, recording artist, and master of the Celtic harp. From the early 1970s, he revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music. As a bagpiper and bombard player, he modernized traditional Breton music and singing in the Breton language. A precursor of Celtic rock, he is inspired by the union of the Celtic cultures and is a keeper of the Breton culture.
Dan Ar Braz is a Breton guitarist-singer-composer and the founder of L'Héritage des Celtes, a 50-piece Pan-Celt band. Leading guitarist in Celtic music, Dan Ar Braz has recorded as a soloist and with Celtic harp player Alan Stivell. He represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996.
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Alan Simon is a French folk-rock musician and composer, best known for his rock operas performed with noted rock musicians guesting. Simon is associated with Breton Celticism, and his most ambitious works are typically on themes linked to Celtic myth and history. Simon has also branched out into film-making.
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À l'Olympia was Stivell's first live album, recording at L'Olympia. It was released by Fontana in 1972.
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Pop-Plinn is a traditional air of a Breton dance transformed into pop music by Alan Stivell. The "Dañs Plinn" is a fast and physical dance where the dancer makes two small jumps by holding the arm of his neighbors.
The Festival de Cornouaille is an annual festival taking place in Quimper, a city in the south-west of Brittany, a western region of France. The festival begins on the third Sunday of July and lasts for one week. It has been held since 1923 and is one of the biggest cultural events in Brittany.
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Andrée Le Gouil, known by her stage name Andrea Ar Gouilh, is a French singer.
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